Kidnapped
by Miyavilurver
Summary: A glimpse into how Dino deals with being kidnapped at two different points in his life.
1. part one

At sixteen, Dino finds himself bound and terrified by the nameless men who've kidnapped him.

* * *

**Blind, Bound, and Afraid**

* * *

When Dino was young, he faced the same trials everyone else faced when you were the heir to a big and powerful Mafia family.

He got kidnapped.

The difference between Dino and the rest of the kids his age, however, was that Dino didn't know how to defend himself.

Dino did his best to remain silent as a pair of hands picked him up from what Dino presumed was the trunk of a car. Dino couldn't tell very well where he was due to the blindfold hindering his sight, but he could make a few educated guesses. You heard about these types of things all the time at school. Dino just didn't think it would happen to him.

Why in the world had he been kidnapped?

Dino didn't know much about what his family did. He didn't care to know. He spent most of his time by himself, reading books and learning to play the violin in his free time. He was reclusive at school and didn't have many friends. The only people in his life who were constantly there were his bodyguards.

Dino's mother had died three years ago. He hadn't seen much of his father since then.

His father was always busy dealing with the "Family Business." Dino hated it all, and refused to get involved with anything related to the Mafia. Still, it was his family, so Dino heard things from time to time. Things like the fact that his father was losing power financially. The Cavallone Family was collapsing.

_Good, _Dino had thought bitterly when he found. If his father lost his standing, there would be no need for Dino to inherit the Family.

He'd become so reassured with this knowledge that Dino had become more reckless over the next couple of months. He ditched his guards more often, and though Dino felt bad for getting Romario in trouble, he couldn't help but to act out.

It was that kind of mentality that led Dino to this moment.

Now that he was here, kidnapped for the first time in his life, the blonde was terrified. He didn't understand why this was happening. Why would anyone bother to kidnap him? His Family wasn't a threat, and there was no way they could afford a ransom. This was pointless.

Dino tried to say as much at first, but he shut his mouth and kept his comments to himself after receiving a few harsh words and a particularly vicious slap across his face. Dino felt the inside of his mouth bleed, and he tried to ignore the strong, bitter taste sliding down his throat as he swallowed uneasily.

He wished he knew what to do. It was hard to think straight. His heart was hammering against his chest in fear and it was hard not to make a sound when all he wanted to do was cry. If Squalo was here—

_Squalo wouldn't have gotten kidnapped, _Dino realized miserably. He could already vividly picture the white-haired teen thrusting his sword into his kidnappers' chests with a wide, merciless grin. Dino didn't approve of violence, but in this case, he kind of wished he had done something as cool as that. The way Dino had frozen still when his kidnappers had appeared was embarrassing. He was sort of glad no one had been there to see him act so uncool.

Dino immediately took back that thought. _Did anyone see? Does anyone know I'm missing? _he wondered, and for the third time that day, he despaired over having ditched his bodyguards.

_Romario will come to save me… right?_

Dino tried to be optimistic, but it was hard. The ropes binding him to the chair were tight and uncomfortable, and the blindfold covering his eyes made this whole situation all the more scary.

At least he wasn't gagged, though Dino had no intention of opening his mouth again. His cheek still stung.

Dino wasn't sure for how long he was there in that room. It felt like forever. There was nothing to distract him, and in the silence, he became more and more afraid that no one would come and rescue him.

Finally, Dino's hearing began to pick up the sound of a pair of voices talking. They sounded muffled, but they became all-too-clear once the door to the room Dino was in opened.

"I don't know, man. I'm just doing what we're being paid for. I don't care 'bout some ransom. That's all up to the Belfani Family," one of the guys said.

_The Belfani Family…? _Dino sucked in a harsh breath, feeling as if the word had physically hurt him. The Belfani Family was one of their allies!

_Why?! _Dino thought, his face scrunching up in despair.

There was a loud, smacking noise, and then another voice hissed quietly, "The hell's wrong with you, man! Watch your mouth!"

"Tch! Whatever. Who cares if the little bratheard us?"

Footsteps neared him. The pain of the Belfani's betrayal quickly faded as fear seized Dino's chest. He tensed and tried his best to get away even though he was tied to the chair, but his struggles only made the approaching man chuckle briefly. His low, gruff voice reverberated across the room, and Dino's eyes clenched shut behind his blindfold as thick, calloused fingers grabbed both sides of his face. Dino's head was turned from side to side in quick, rough movements that made a terrified shiver run down his spine.

"It'll be a shame to kill this one though," the man who was holding on to him muttered. Dino wanted to nod at his words. Despite his vow to keep silent, he felt the urge to open his mouth and say something, anything, to bargain for his life.

The choice was taken away from him when the stubbly nail of the man's thumb pried his bottom lip open. Dino didn't even have the temerity to bite the man's hand off. He sucked in a quiet breath and felt his body freeze. The man before him clicked his tongue loudly before letting go of him. "What should we do? Boss didn't say we had to kill the brat immediately, did he? You think we—?"

But whatever suggestion that was about to come out of the man's mouth was abruptly cut off.

Dino heard the faint telltale sound of lights flickering off, and then the much louder sound of gunshots. The deafening barrage of firearms being emptied pierced through the room, and like a bullet, hope shot through Dino in less than a second.

"Fuck!" cursed the man nearest to the door. "How'd they find us so quickly!?"

Dino could hear a crowd of familiar voices yelling over the firefight happening outside. He bit his lip, trembling with relief at the knowledge that he was about to be rescued.

"God dammit!"

The heated growl was nearly inaudible amidst the continuous, booming explosions, but Dino jumped in his seat and let out a loud gasp as he felt a large hand grab onto the back of his neck. The fingers pressed tightly against the sides of his throat, and it was at this moment that he finally found his voice.

"LET ME GO!" he cried out loudly. He ignored the tightening grip on his neck and struggled against the ropes as hard as he could, but it was impossible to get free. The thick, frayed rope dug into his skin painfully. "LET GO OF ME, YOU STUPID ASSHOLE!"

"Quiet!" the man holding him hissed into his ear as he slapped a hand over Dino's mouth. "Stay still, you little shit, or I'm 'onna cut your throat open!" Dino sunk his teeth into the man's fingers but cried out a second later when he felt his hair being pulled harshly. Dino's breath caught in his throat and he let out a whimper when he felt the sharp, cold feeling of a blade pressing against his throat.

"I said, be _quiet_!" the man hissed again.

Dino's neck prickled. A warm, sticky liquid tickled the skin of his throat. Dino's eyes clenched shut as he felt tears soak the cloth of his blindfold, a few wetting his cheeks as they slid down his face. It was hard not to move when his body insisted on shaking like this. His heart pounded anxiously as he prayed to God that he would make it out of this alive. He didn't want to die here, not like this. Not at all.

Dino didn't know how long he stayed like that. His mind blanked out of everything but his fear, and the muffled sound of bullet casings clattering across the concrete.

"…You think it's over?"

When he came back to himself, Dino realized that the comforting sound of gunshots had finally died off. His nails dug into the skin of his palms as panic began to rise through him once more.

The two men that were in the room with him began talking in hushed tones.

"…Sounds like it is. Why don't ya take a quick see?"

"What? No way, man!"

"Don't be such a chickenshit, just do it!" the man holding on to Dino snapped impatiently.

"Tch…"

Dino wasn't in his right mind to track the men's movements, but he faintly registered the sound of footsteps walking away. A door opened noisily, creaking. Dino held his breath and waited.

"I don't see—"

The earsplitting crack of a rifle being shot rang through the air, followed by a muted thud.

"Shit!" The man holding Dino tightened his grip on his hair. Dino clenched his jaw and tried not to cry out when he felt the knife shake slightly against his skin.

_I'm going to die. I'm going to die here, and Dad's going to be all by himself now. Romario's going to blame himself, even though all of this is all my fault. _

Silent tears ran down Dino's face, the damp, thick droplets sliding down like an unending rain. His lip trembled, but he tried hard not to move a muscle, all too aware of the blade pressing against his throat.

The creaking noise of the door sliding open filled the air once more.

"Hey! Get back, man!"

There was a short, startled hiss, followed by the sound of a cocking gun. "Put the knife down, or I will shoot you."

_Romario!_

It took all of Dino's self-preservation not to move upon hearing the familiar voice. He bit his lip and dug his nails deeper into the palms of his hands. His toes curled inside his sneakers as he forced himself to stay still.

"Hah! As if! How about you let me go, man? Let me go, or I'll kill the little brat," his kidnapper promised in a steadier, cocky voice.

"_Put the knife down_," Romario snarled, his voice low and angry in a way Dino had never heard before.

"Tch. You think I'm jokin'?!" the man holding onto him growled.

Dino wasn't sure what happened next. All he knew was that pain burst in the left upper side of his back, and he was screaming. He heard the sound of gunshots firing off into the distance, a curse, and then running footsteps. A door slammed open, and then….

And then Dino passed out.

* * *

When Dino woke up, he was in his room, and there was a hand holding on to his own.

Dino tensed and immediately tried to snatch it back, but the movement caused him to cry out as pain flared up across his back.

"Dino!"

The familiar, comforting voice of his father made Dino struggle to open his eyes. He gasped and bit his lip, doing his best not to cry in front of him. But the look on his father's face only served to make the knot in his throat tighten.

"Oh, Dino, you're finally awake," his father muttered in relief and grasped on to his hand tighter. "I was so scared that—dammit, son, what were you thinking? You nearly died!"

Dino's lip trembled. "I'm sorry…" he whispered in a quiet voice, and squeezed his dad's hand back with equal strength, unmindful of the pain this caused him.

But his father seemed to realize what he was doing and he quickly urged him to relax. His warm, long fingers brushed Dino's hair away from his face in a tender, familiar way. Dino closed his eyes at the nostalgic touch and swallowed heavily.

His father's breath stuttered for a moment, and Dino's heart clenched at the sound.

"It's okay, Dino. Forget it. I'm just glad you're safe," his father finally whispered.

"Dad…"

His dad didn't leave his side the entire night. He stayed there, holding his hand, even after Dino slipped back to sleep.


	2. part two

At twenty-one, Dino finds himself kidnapped by a familiar man whose name he no longer cares to know.

* * *

**Five Years Can Change a Man**

* * *

Despite all of his misgivings, Dino ended up inheriting the Cavallone Family by the time he's twenty-one.

It hadn't been something he'd wanted to do. He'd fought his responsibility off as long as he could, and at one point, he even tried to convince Romario to take the job instead. But after being tutored by Reborn, and after taking to heart the harsh lessons the Arcobaleno imparted to him, Dino found that he could no longer protest against his duty. Not when it meant forsaking his Family.

He vowed to protect it now, and was proud of the man he'd become.

But, much to his mortification, it seemed that almost as soon as Reborn left, Dino ended up being kidnapped again.

It wasn't the first time it had happened since that dreadful first time five years ago, but it was certainly the most pathetic attempt. Dino felt more embarrassed than scared though, and it was obvious by the way he was casually chatting up his kidnapper.

"I see you're still in the business," Dino huffed as he finally saw the face of his kidnapper. He didn't spare a glance to the bag that was being carelessly discarded to the floor, the bag that had, just a second ago, been covering his head. Instead, his eyes roved over the familiar face before him.

This was the man who had kidnapped him five years ago. He was sure of it.

Dino hadn't recognized him immediately. His face was a blurred memory. The last time he'd met the guy, Dino had been blindfolded for the majority of the incident. But he remembered his voice all too well, and he recognized all too clearly the eyes he'd caught a glimpse of five years ago.

Dino was amused to note the man didn't seem as tall as he'd remembered.

"And I see you're still as easy to kidnap as ever. Heard you inherited your pop's business, bet you're regretting that now," the man taunted, his expression turning a little smug, as one was wont to do when they thought they had the upper hand.

Dino sighed and began to discreetly test the bonds that had him tied to the chair he was in. "Enough with the intimidation tactics. How about you just get to the point? Who hired you? What are their demands?" he asked in a cool tone that held a bit of impatience.

His kidnapper's eyes narrowed. He was obviously displeased with Dino's reactions.

"Acting awfully calm, aren't ya? Bossy too. I'd watch your mouth if I were you. Best not piss me off, eh?" he warned the blonde, taking a threatening step forward until he was towering over him.

"Oh, please. I've faced worse things than you," Dino retorted without fear, looking more amused at the other's threats than anything else. Nothing this guy did to him could top the type of torment he'd endured under Reborn's tutelage. Just the thought of that awful Spartan training still made him blanch on occasion.

"That so?" His kidnapper's lips pursed as he stared down at his captive. The way his jaw clenched was telling of how short his temper was, but Dino was unfazed. This guy was a small fry, and even if he wasn't, Dino knew better than to appear weak.

"Yup. A lowlife like you just isn't worth my fear," he assured him, smirking winsomely.

Predictably, his kidnapper snarled in anger and proceeded to backhand him. Dino didn't cry out.

"You've grown into quite a mouthy brat. I much preferred you when you were mute and terrified out of your wits."

"Heh. Sorry to disappoint," Dino told him, paying no mind to his throbbing cheek as he calmly turned to face his kidnapper head on once again.

The two of them stared at each other for a long moment, trying to see who would break away first. Dino's expression was impassive as his gaze bore into the older man's which was steadily growing angrier by the second.

The last straw was reached when Dino cocked his head, and his challenging smirk broadened as he drawled in a taunting voice, "See something you like?"

An irritated growl escaped the older man's throat. Dino watched carefully as his kidnapper reached into his pocket. He'd been expecting a gun, but the man merely took out a small pocket knife and flicked it open with a quick movement of his wrist. The blade gleamed under the dim lightning of the room.

"I warned you to watch your mouth, didn't I? Don't piss me off, I said," the man muttered as he placed the sharp edge of the blade under Dino's chin, unnecessarily forcing him to look up more.

Dino felt a hint of irritation, but he raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "You think your employer will approve of this?" he said, unflinching even with the threat of the pointed blade poking at his throat.

"Hah! Try another line. I know for a fact that the boss man has no problem with having you roughed up," the man said, smirking widely. After another second, he pulled the knife away. There was a thin warm trickle of blood running down the skin of Dino's throat. It was a distracting, tickling sensation. Dino ignored it. He pretended not to keep track of his kidnapper's hands, or more importantly, the knife, and instead did his best to meet the older man's gaze unflinchingly. There wasn't a part of Dino's body that portrayed his fear, but his kidnapper didn't seem to think so. The small show of power he'd displayed had obviously soothed his ruffled feathers. In fact, it seemed to have given him confidence, because now that he thought he had the upper hand again, the man began to get rather chatty.

"Staying quiet now, aren't ya? How typical. You know what I hate about guys like you? You're all weak chickenshit that never know what you're getting into. You think you're all that just 'cause you're not the ones getting your hands bloodied? Because you can just hire people to do your dirty work?" The older man scoffed. "You're pathetic," he spat.

Without a warning, the man leaned forward and clamped his hands over Dino's forearms. His face was uncomfortably close to Dino's own, and the movement had been so sudden that Dino had instinctively pulled back. He couldn't deny that his heart began to race a bit, but he felt irritated by his reaction. Dino's eyes narrowed at the other, but he continued to talk back to the older man without a trace of unease.

"You're equally as pathetic, don't you think? Just an indispensible grunt spilling blood for money. No one will care if someone like you lives or dies," he told him, enunciating every word in a quiet voice. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"

The older man's grip on him tightened the longer Dino talked. His stubbly nails dug into Dino's skin painfully, and the plastic encasing of the pocketknife, which was trapped between the man's palm and Dino's arm, pressed against the bone of his left forearm uncomfortably.

"I've had just enough out of you. That false bravado is beginning to piss me off!" the man hissed. He pulled back then and backhanded him across the face again. The skin of Dino's cheek split open into a shallow cut with the action. The blonde tensed and wondered what was taking his men so long. How much longer would he have to endure being here?

_Come on, Romario… Hurry up!_

Dino's patience continued to be tested as he felt the man's calloused fingers wrap around his arm again. His kidnapper was holding down Dino's right arm, putting his weight on it as his other hand began to trace the tan, bare skin of his left arm.

"You've got a lot of nerve to talk to me like that. Just 'cause you think you're somebody now, doesn't mean you're worth shit." The knife in the older man's hand finally came back to play. Dino tensed as the blade skirted over his skin. He swallowed down the gasp that threatened to escape him when he felt the blade carve deeply into his arm. Blood spilled from the wound thickly, and Dino grimaced at the stinging sensation. He bit his tongue as he felt the knife drag down, cutting against the resistance of the skin. His face paled, and his expression became pinched. His kidnapper thrived in his pain.

"Look at you. You're still just a useless little brat who can't do a thing to save himself. So much for being the great big boss of the Cavallone Family, huh? You're just—"

Suddenly, the door of the room he'd been confined in burst open. About a dozen or so of Dino's men rushed into the room.

"Boss!" a chorus of voices cried out.

"What the—!"

Dino's kidnapper straightened up and turned around quickly. The sight of Dino's men made his eyes widen in shock. "How did you get here!?" he spluttered, and took a step back. He reached blindly towards Dino, ready to recreate the scene that had happened five years ago—but Dino wasn't where he was supposed to be. The older man glanced down and panicked when he saw his prisoner was out of his bonds. The ropes had been cut and were now sprawled across the floor uselessly.

"When did you—?"

The man's question was cut off by a loud crack. Dino's whip crashed against his kidnapper's back. The blow sent the man stumbling onto the floor. With another flick of his wrist, Dino managed to capture his opponent by wrapping his whip around the man's neck. The older man immediately tried to fight off the choking hold, but Dino tugged on the whip mercilessly and warned him to stay still.

_I can't believe I was captured by this guy, _Dino thought with a grimace, distaste and mortification washing over him. The guy was an amateur. He hadn't even bothered to check him for weapons.

After making sure the older man wasn't going to cause further trouble, the blonde turned his attention to his right-hand man, who was looking at him with a concerned frown.

"You had us worried, boss," Romario said in a heavy voice, looking as relieved as he could be considering the situation.

Dino shot him an apologetic smile and shrugged slightly. "Sorry about that. I was careless. It won't happen again," he promised.

Romario sighed, but took the apology without further word. "In any case, the place has been cleared, boss. What should we do now?" he asked.

"That's not…. possible…"

Dino glanced down at his captive, whom was still struggling to free himself from the tight leather grip coiled around his neck. Dino felt a sick rush of satisfaction at seeing him there, but he ignored that and instead got straight to business.

"Hey," he said, tugging at his whip until the man was forced to look up at him. "Who ordered the hit this time? The Brucelli Family? The Selvaggio's?"

"I ain't telling you shit," the man spat, glaring up at Dino murderously.

Dino's lips thinned and all traces of amusement were gone at that moment. "You know, you should have known better than to mess with me twice. You were lucky to get away the first time around," he told him.

"Bite me!" the man snarled, and whether he was unaware of the dozen or so guns being pointed at him, or just dumb, Dino didn't know, but the older man reached up to tug at the taut leather between them with a strength Dino was surprised he had left.

Pain shot up Dino's arm at the action. He didn't stumble forward, but as he tightened his hold and pulled back roughly, he grimaced and clenched his teeth with effort. Blood continued to trickle out of the deep wound, and his arm began to shake with the strain he was putting it in. "Obstinate bastard, aren't you?" He sighed. "Well, alright then. If you've got nothing to say, then I have no need to keep you alive."

The man's eyes widened. A flash of fear crossed his eyes, and he didn't look threatening at all at that moment. All his cocksure swagger was gone, replaced by that familiar look of panic. He just another man then—no one to be afraid of. Dino had known this from the beginning.

Without giving it another thought, Dino tightened his grip and slowly pulled the leather back until all he could hear was the choking gasps coming from his enemy's mouth. Dino stared at the man briefly, but he soon found his gaze drawn to the chair he'd been tied to just moments ago. Dino examined the chair quietly, a frown on his lips, and when he heard the telling thud of a body slumping to the floor, he quickly pulled his whip back and coiled it around his hand.

"Romario."

"Yes, boss?"

"Find out who sent this bastard after me. And get someone to clean up this mess."

"Yes, boss. Anything else?"

Dino looked down at his arm and grimaced at the bloody stinging mess. He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Call a doctor, and then my usual guy. I think it's time for a new tattoo."


End file.
